How to Keep Your Diesel Engine in Good Condition

It is less common for diesel engines to incur problems compared with gasoline engines, which means general maintenance won’t cost you any more, saving you money over time in repairs and replacements. This guide on how to keep your diesel engine in good condition contains a few handy tips, alongside some simple steps you can take to ensure your engine stays in top-notch condition.

When you’re filling up at a fuel station, be sure to choose the best quality fuel possible, and always fill up to a full tank instead of just a few litres. This is because the lower the quality of the fuel, the greater the impact it will have on the fuel injectors. The injector sprays fuel into the engine to produce combustion, but if not cleaned properly, it can accumulate dust, dirt, carbon and debris, which prevents it from doing its job.

Fuel system cleaning is essential for upkeeping diesel engines because, if left uncleaned, injectors become even more prone to damage and are expensive to replace. As there are four injectors in one car, replacements can easily inflate the overall cost of repair. The easiest way to tell if injector damage is present is whether the exhaust fumes appear either very white or very dark.

In order to keep your diesel engine in good shape, you need to allow your turbocharger to cool down for at least 20 seconds after your journey; if you’ve been on a long journey, then allow it to cool for as long as two minutes. Just like you would stretch after a workout to prevent muscle damage, let the car run in neutral for the recommended times above once you have finished your journey, so your car can recover.

Turbochargers can be pricey depending on what car you have, so it’s in your best interest to keep yours in the best possible condition. You’ll definitely be aware if it’s time for a replacement, with clear signs being whistling noises, loss of power and, in some cases, exhaust fumes appearing a blue-tinted colour.

In addition to letting the car cool down once you’ve been on the road, it’s important to make sure that, when driving, you keep your RPM (revolutions per minute) to a moderate level. As well as damaging your turbocharger, ‘laying rubber’ can also lead to the replacement of the dual mass flywheel, which is what protects the gearbox from vibrations. Unfortunately, replacing the dual mass often leads to replacing the clutch, too.

Replacing your oil, fuel and air filters is a fundamental part of maintaining a diesel engine. Although your oil change frequency depends on how often you drive, you should aim to change your oil every 8000 kilometres. How often you have an air filter replacement also depends on the environment and climate of the areas you drive in. 

Specific filters have been incorporated into diesel cars in order to reduce emissions, so when they are not cleaned properly, the ash can build up and damage the filter. If the filter does get damaged, then it can be quite costly to repair, which is why it’s important that your filters are properly maintained.

During winter in particular, the above steps are essential for ensuring that your engine doesn’t become damaged. The tank needs to be full every time you refuel, and you must not leave your car out in the cold for too long without driving it, especially if there is a low amount of fuel in the tank. 

Make sure that, before winter comes, you replace the filters and check the engine's condition, so that any work can be done before the snow starts to fall.

If you are experiencing noticeable problems with your diesel engine and are unsure what to do, read our previous blog about common diesel engine problems and solutions. Alternatively, please contact us with your engine number if you are currently having any diesel engine-related issues, and our team of experts will be happy to assist you.

Foxwood Diesel is a national distributor of Cummins spares and engine parts, as well as Mercedes, Volvo, Perkins, DAF and all major diesel vehicle manufacturers, with a wide range available for same-day dispatch. We have a dedicated team with over 70 years of shared experience, able to undertake highly effective reconditioning and rebuilding solutions.